


Lullaby for A Broken Heart

by ThaliaofCarim



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Childhood Friends, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Other characters in the story but not mentioned in the tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-05-16 07:51:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19313842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThaliaofCarim/pseuds/ThaliaofCarim
Summary: "Leave us," She said as her second-in-command left with a nod. For a while she didn't speak and as the silence grew uncomfortable she heard the sound of him shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Why are you here?" She finally asked as she felt his gaze land back on her."I had to come. I have to...I have to apologize for what I said and did ten years ago..." his voice was just as velvety as she remembered, his scent which was now fully spread throughout the room was still just as earthy as she remembered it being from the nights they would spend in the part of the Library where no one ever went to as it was well hidden away. Part of her yearned to turn and embrace him, to kiss his lips and accept his apology, to run her fingers through his curly hair, but she refused that part of herself.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Story behind this story: This particular story has been stewing (quiet literally) unpublished over on its former home site of Wattpad. Well as it is, Kira has been literally BUGGING the hell out of me to get her story out there, so to shut her up, have a story that starts in Origins, skips DA2 (thought parts of it is mentioned) and ends in Inquisition. OC is a mage who, you guessed it, was childhood friends with Cullen, was sent to the Circle (after her magic revealed itself) where Cullen was a templar at. Let's just say these two in this story are possible going to be my most annoying two to write.

_Laughter ensued as a woman watched her blue eyed daughter play with a curly blonde haired young boy (with notable amber eyes) among the crops in the field. Suddenly, she heard footfall from behind her and turned to see her husband walking up, "She loves it here." She smiled as his amber gaze turned to her._

_"I know, this town will be a good place to for her to grow up," He smiled as his wife watched their child play with the little boy who had come to visit her the first day they had moved in. "That Cullen seems to have a crush on her."_

_"Perhaps he does." A tender smile from the girls mother crossed her face, "I am going to go meet with his mother in the morning. Let's just hope that Kira and Cullen remain friends throughout their lives." The woman smiled as Kira giggled as Cullen tagged her before he turned and ran away with her giving chase as the two laughed the day away._

Kira frowned as she stared blankly out of the window, she was now seventeen years old and completely changed from that little girl in her memory. Her blue-black hair was long and braided back to keep it out of her face, her outfits were now robes instead of breeches and shirts (though she still wore those things to bed).  _We were best friends... But my magic revealed itself when we were both eleven and I had been taken away by the Templars. I wonder what became of Cullen?_ Kira sighed as she returned to her studies while a familiar voice spoke to someone who was either a new Templar to the Order or was a transfer.

"And this is the Apprentice Library, for the first few weeks you will be stationed here and outside the Apprentice Quarters." The voice was familiar to her as it was the voice of the man known as Knight-Commander Gregoir, and so she continued to study while ignoring him. She had no reason to speak with him and for the most part he was content to leave her alone, but as he paused in showing whoever the newcomer was around, Kira heard someone come running up to her and by the footfall she knew exactly who it was and inwardly groaned.

"Go away Jowan," she grumbled as he came to an almost sliding stop near her.

"Come on! Solona and Niera are asking for you to come study with us! Please?!" He asked as she shot him a look.

"I study better alone," Kira closed the book on the different herbs she had been reading and stood up with the Knight-Commander and the newest Templar watching the exchange carefully. She moved out of the way of the chair and, after sliding it in, she picked up the book and went to go set it back in its proper place, but just as she went to lift the book up, Jowan reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Kira," he said as the new Templar furrowed his brow. To this Templar, her name rang a bell and as he studied the woman, her face slowly became familiar. "Kira, why are you so adamant about avoiding us? You've been acting odd since-!"

"Jowan, don't," She said pulling her wrist away. "I need to focus on my studies and being around you doesn't help me," She said walking away from him as he frowned.

"Kira..."

"Drop it!" Kira snapped as she put the book away and turned to head towards the Apprentice Quarters after she gathered up her items. As she walked away from where she had been studying, she gained a full view of the new Templar (who seemed oddly familiar to her in someway), but she wisely chose to continue walking past both him and Gregoir, who she finally remembered was the Knight-Commander, and headed for her bed. The usual headache she was finding that often came with dealing with Jowan, came back as she sat down and sighed.  _I think I will skip dinner tonight. I can't keep dealing with Jowan. There's just something...wrong...about him._ After a few moments, she stood up, walked through the library, went upstairs to the chapel where she sat on a bench and rubbed at her face with her hands with another sigh but this time she kept her eyes closed until she heard someone approach.

"Excuse me?" A voice spoke up as she wondered just why the Maker was being cruel to her when all she wanted was to be alone for a few moments. "Um...are you by chance... Kira Vasari?"

"I am, why?" She asked now with both eyes open to see the Templar from earlier and soon found herself looking into his amber colored eyes.

"Its just that... how do I say this without messing up? Uh...my name is Cullen and I was ah..." he rubbed the back of his neck and she noted a blush creeping on his cheeks as his gaze turned away from her.

"Cullen?" Kira stopped to think as he nodded, then it hit her. "As in Cullen Rutherford, the little boy who I used to play with in the fields near the town of Honnleath?" Her heart stopped as he nodded and she had to force herself to remain seated. "I..." she couldn't find the words to describe the mixture of emotions she was feeling in that moment. "It's been...six whole years since we last saw each other..." she couldn't believe she was hearing herself say that, but what she did believe were her eyes and they showed her that the person who was standing before her was her childhood friend, her best friend, and the only person she had been able to think of since the day she had come to the Circle.

"I know," He gave a soft smile, "Mind if I sit?" He asked as she raised a brow.

"I can't exactly stop you now can I,  _templar_?" She teased him as he frowned, but he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he sat next to her.

"Good to see you have a sense of humor," He chuckled as she snorted.

"I wouldn't be me without it," She chirped as he shook his head. "Anyways..." she smiled as they spoke for a while, at least until dinnertime, but as Cullen stood to head to the dining hall, he noted that Kira was not following suit.

"Aren't you hungry?" He asked worriedly as she shook her head.

"Not right this moment. You saw that little spat I had with the other mage apprentice earlier. I'm not in the best of moods to deal with him right now, or really anyone to be honest." She sighed as he frowned, "I'll be fine Cullen, go on without me," She waved him off and he went to the dining hall, but stopped at the entrance of the chapel to see her stand and walk over to say a few prayers. He watched her with a frown and sighed as he walked away. He knew Kira had changed in the years they had been apart, but the events to come the day after her eighteenth birthday would put their friendship on very shaky and rocky ground.


	2. One

Kira stood with gaze cast down towards the rug beneath her feet in both shame and in rage. Solona had managed to sweet talk Kira into going with her, Jowan and some future chantry lay-sister, to find and destroy not only Jowan's phylactery but Kira's phylactery as well to Kira's shock. Kira, upon seeing both phylacteries being smashed, had immediately run through the door that had led to all of the apprentices phylacteries and with the other three chasing after her, had bolted back up to th main floor only to cause a scene between herself, Solona and Jowan just as the Knight-Commander, several templars (including Cullen) and the man who was known as the First-Enchanter arrived to be witnesses to Kira throwing a punch at Jowan and leaving the young man with a blackening eye while two templars, one of whom was Cullen, leapt at her to haul Kira away from the other three before things grew even more volatile. Of course, that seemed a waste as shortly thereafter, Jowan revealed himself for what he really was and Kira honestly couldn't say she was surprised, not even when Solona accused her of knowing what he was. "You think I knew?!" Kira snarled at Solona.

"You're the one always running to the Templars at the first sign of blood magic."

"I don't go to them unless I have proof to back up my claims! You should know that you fucking-!"

 ** _"ENOUGH!"_** Kira and Solona (well practically everyone) flinched as they turned their gazes towards the Knight-Commander who was not known for raising his voice unless it was necessary. When he revealed the fates of Solona and the Chantry sister and was preparing to deliver news of Kira's fate, someone else was swift to come down and halt it. That someone was a man Kira would come to know as named Duncan, but what she didn't realize was that he would also come to be a very important person in her life along with several others, but right now as Kira and Solona prepared to leave the tower for good, The Knight-Commander stopped Kira for a fraction of a moment and pressed something into her hand before curling her fingers around the object. "Your parents requested that this be given to you when I believed you would need it most, and while I normally would never do such a thing I think you will need it in the coming days. It also has something from me as well." With that, Kira watched the man give her a brief smile before he turned and left her with Solona and Duncan. Kira looked towards the two waiting for her and saw Solona's confused look and only shrugged before following her and Duncan out of the massive doors to hopefully never return again. But as Kira opened her hand to see what the Knight-Commander had given her, she was shocked to see a familiar wolf pendant necklace upon a rawhide string with a small charm of the Templar Order along side it wrapped up carefully around a folded up letter. Creasing her brow, Kira opened the letter after removing the necklace and read the letter and felt a smile cross her face as she read what the Knight-Commander had written there. Folding up the letter back up carefully, she placed it in the pouch at her side and then turned to put on the necklace which she tightened around her neck to allow the pendant, and its accompanying charm, to rest against the area just above her sternum.  

A week into their travels, Kira and Solona, continued to follow Duncan who continued to collect Warden recruits from all over and now, in the group there were not only Kira and Solona, but two elven people one from the city of Denerim and the other from the Dalish clans, as well as a (formerly) dwarven noble and a dwarven commoner but all six were becoming close friends (despite the fact that Solona still had a long ways to go before she was back in Kira's good graces). But as they stopped for the night, Duncan watched as all six smiled and laughed in camaraderie and it brought a smile to his face. Despite how mismatched the group was, he could clearly see that no matter what their lives as future Grey Wardens would put them through, the six would remain good friends and something told him that it would be needed in the days to come, but Duncan's attention soon turned to Kira who was sitting off to the side and frowned. Since having left the tower, Duncan noted that Kira seemed almost lost in a sense of the word and a part of him could understand that. She hadn't been outside of the Circle since before her magic had manifested and for her to feel lost was, in his mind, normal. Deciding to see if Kira was alright, he made his way over to her and spoke up as he sat down next to her, causing her to look up at him, "Kira? Are you well?"

Kira frowned before looking down at her hands. "I feel uneasy. Since my magic manifested I haven't been outside the Circle tower in several years. This is all so...overwhelming..." Kira trailed off as Duncan smiled softly. He sat and spoke with her for several more moments before he left her alone to think. 

"Kira?" Kira looked up to see one of the elven men, Therion Mahariel, walking up to her nervously.

"Therion?" Kira inquired as she tilted her head to the side for a moment to study the slender elven man. "What's the matter?"

"I was wondering if it's alright if I come sit by you... You look... kinda lonely over here by yourself..." he started as Kira smiled warmly at him. 

"You're more then welcome too," Kira told him as he sat beside her to start talking with her. As they spoke, neither Kira nor Therion noticed that Solona was watching with a frown. 

 _Kira and Therion? I always thought Kira had a thing for Rutherford?_ Solona wondered as she watched the two speak and smile with each other. It was a well known fact, even to Solona, that the Dalish only ever "bonded" with one person their entire lives like wolves would mate with only one other wolf in their lifetimes. As Solona continued watching, she was struck surprised when she heard what Therion said next to Kira.

"Ma'fen," Therion smiled as Kira looked to him.

"What?" Kira inquired as she looked towards Therion

"It means "My wolf" in elven, and if you would allow me, I would like to start calling you that."

"Therion are you?" The elven warrior (as Kira knew he was) nodded and she smiled. "I would like that, very much." 

Solona swore her jaw had just gone through the ground and beyond the places known as the deep roads.  _Did he just? But mages can't..._

"Solona?" Solona turned to the person walking up and nodded towards Kira and Therion. 

"I think he wants to bond with her, Natia," Solona told the dwarven woman who looked in Kira and Therion's direction and her brows skyrocketed as she saw Therion and Kira speaking.

"I thought you said that Kira was interested in some young templar?"

"That's what I was thought too, but apparently she has a thing for elves," But when Solona went to lay down that night, she suddenly remembered what Kira had said one night to her while they had still be in the Circle. 

_"Cullen is my childhood friend, but he's now a templar. Plus he has no true interest in me, it's you he wants to be with Sol. I will always just be that girl he played with when we were children and nothing more, even if I hoped against hoped, I could never be the person he wants to be more then friends with."_

Solona frowned then,  _Was Kira truly that oblivious to the gazes he would send her way when she would walk away, smile, or even speak with him when she was healing his accidental wounds that I still say he allowed himself to receive just so he had a reason to speak with her?_ Solona only shook her head before finally drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating this story as often as I can, however I have run into the issues of my muses being assholes again. I haven't been feeling like working on my stories or really playing any games because I am going through DA withdrawals (its a thing now deal with it). I can't play DAO because my Xbox One and its cord both overheat and I can't play DA2 or DA:I (Game of the Year version because why buy the DLCs seperate?) because I don't have those. so my DA muses are being assholes and thus I am slowly losing interest in writing any and all of my stories. I will still work on them, they just may not update as quickly as they normally would.


	3. Two

Kira smiled as she and Therion talked as the group of six Warden Recruits followed Duncan to the place they only knew as named Ostagar, but Kira was soon dragged away from her conversation with Therion by Solona who strode up to the two and apologized to Therion who watched the two mages as they moved forward to speak in hushed whispers about the magical energies they felt as they drew closer to the ancient ruins and together, Solona and Kira where abuzz with wonder at the ancient site and the residual ancient magic they felt reaching out to them with each step they took closer and closer. "I've only read about this place but words...just wow..." Kira managed as Solona nodded in agreement. 

"The books did no justice to it. Do you feel the magic? Its...ancient!"

"I know!" Kira's eyes sparkled. "There are so many questions just running rampant in my mind right now about this place..." While Kira and Solona discussed the ruins, Duncan smiled at seeing the two curious mages pepper each other with their wonders, questions and theories. It was a trait that many shared, but was more common for mages since they were not allowed outside of the circles unless it was for a specific reason while accompanied by the Templars or, as was the case with Solona and Kira, recruited or conscripted by the Right of Conscription by the Grey Warden Order. As they arrived within the ruins, Solona and Kira's whispers only grew more excited but were soon silenced as the King of Ferelden himself appeared to greet them all. Which was honestly something that neither Kira nor Solona (or any of the other recruits) had been expecting for the man to do. After greetings had been given and Duncan had given out his instructions to the recruits, Solona had volunteered to go find a young man by the name of Alistair who was a junior member of the Grey Warden Order, and Kira, for her part, was happy just to follow Duncan to where the Grey Wardens were camped as she still wasn’t exactly comfortable with being outside of the Circle walls. Yes, she could clearly see some of the older Circle mages, along with their Templar guardians, from where she was in Grey Warden encampment but it did little to ease her alienated feeling. Sitting on the ground near the fire, Kira frowned as it really hit her that she was outside of the Circle, but not in the way she had been hoping. She had hoped to be allowed outside of the Circle as either a Court, Battle or only when she was one of the select few to be called upon to leave the circle to aid with certain things, but now she was an apostate against her will and that upset her greatly as apostasy was not something she thought to enjoy. Standing, Kira was preparing to seek out Therion when Solona called out to her and came over with a young man roughly around their age most likely in the attempt for him to get to know Kira before he and Solona and two others left to go gather whatever was needed for the thing called The Joining. ”Yes?” Kira inquired as Solona smiled before introducing Kira to the young man. 

”This is Alistair, Alistair this the friend I was telling you about: Kira Vasari.” 

”A pleasure to meet you,” Kira told Alistair who looked surprised to see her. 

”Wait, you’re Rutherford’s childhood friend?” 

”You know Cullen?” Kira inquired as her brows rose in surprise.

”Not very well. He and I met during Templar training,” Alistair told her as Solona frowned. ”If you were to ask him, he would likely say that I found a way to pester him every chance I got. Got him in trouble a time or two.” 

”Sounds typical for him,” Kira smiled warmly, ”But to answer your original question, yes, I am or was, Cullen’s friend. He and I almost had the chance to grow up together in our little hometown of Honnleath.” 

Alistair frowned then, ”He made mention of that. He also sent me this,” Alistair pulled out a folded letter from a pouch at his side. ”He asked me to give this to you when you arrived, said it has something he wishes he could have told you before you left with Duncan and Solona.” 

”I...” Kira carefully unfolded the letter to skim through it before feeling tears sting at her eyes. ”I will read through this while you and Solona are out in the Wilds collecting what is needed. Thank you.” Kira told him before turning away to go find a place to sit and read the letter that Cullen had sent here for her to read. As she read the letter, Kira could just hear Cullen’s voice speaking the words that she read and they brought tears to her eyes. More then once, she was forced to wipe her eyes upon her sleeves as she read Cullen’s ”secret” confession of his feelings about and for her. Folding the letter up, she closed her eyes as she struggled against her now warring emotions. She wanted to jump for joy, she wanted to scream in frustration, she wanted to do so many things at once but the only thing she found herself doing was allowing tears to slide down first her left cheek then her right one as she felt two of her strongest emotions rising. Love and sorrow. 

”Ma’fen? Are you alright?” Therion’s voice was soft as he walked over to her. 

”I will be ma vhenan. Just... A letter from an old friend who is too late in claiming his love for me.” 

”Ir abelas, ma vhenan.” 

”Do not be, my love. He had his chance, but he is a Templar and I...” 

”Could never be with him because of it,” Therion shook his head in displeasure. ”Shemlens. I could never understand why they lock away their mages.” 

”Therion, I am a Shemlen.” 

Therion smiled softly then as he brushed some of her hair out of her face with a gentle touch. ”No, Kira, you are not. You are a Fen. You are a wolf. A wolf who I am lucky to be loved by.” 

Kira smiled towards him now, ”You always do know how to cheer me up.” 

”I hope I survive the joining,” Therion told her as she looked to him. 

”What do you mean?” 

Therion sighed and closed his eyes. ”Kira, what I am trying to say is that if I survive the joining, I want to be your only. I want to be your life-mate.” 

”Therion are you...asking to bond with me?” Kira watched as he nodded and couldn’t help but smile as her heart squeezed. ”Then yes, Therion! I want you to be my life mate! I want to be with you until the end of our days.” 

”Then let us pray I survive.” 

But that night, after Solona and Alistair returned, Fate was not kind to three of the six Duncan had brought with him, and Kira would be left heartbroken yet again.


	4. Three

Kira gasped as she awoke with blinding hot white pain searing her side, back and shoulder as well as her lower left leg. Groaning as she rolled over to sit up, she reached for something, anything, that could aid her in standing and, after grabbing her staff, with massive amounts of pain blossoming in her injured areas of her body, Kira forced herself to stand on shaky legs while leaning against her staff and looked around only to be greeted by the sight of carnage all around her. ”Maker’s breath!” she whimpered as her eyes widened at the piles (and scattered corpses) of bodies made up of humans, beasts and darkspawn alike. Feeling tears prick at her eyes, Kira felt as if her whole world was suddenly crashing down around her as she remembered what had happened. Solona and Alistair had been left behind in the camp while Kira and the other Wardens were to join in the fighting, but during the battle, things had swiftly turned south and those fighting had been overrun after the king’s wife’s father had retreated and now rage reared its ugly head as she thought of it. ”That traitor!” Kira snarled before gasping as a wave of pain overtook her. Gripping her staff in a death grip, Kira was barely able to keep herself standing and panted as she kept herself upright through sheer willpower alone. ”I’ll worry about...about dealing with him later... Right now...I need...to find somewhere safe...” she told herself as she began a very slow and excruciating trek to somewhere where she could rest and heal up. Using her staff to help her, Kira managed to unsteadily limp her way towards the ruins only to stop partway there as a voice called out to her. 

”Well, well, what do we have here? Another Warden who survived when others did not?” Turning her gaze towards the voice’s owner, Kira saw a woman she did not recognize and wondered who she was. ”You must be either very fortunate or very unlucky.”

”Who...” Kira gripped her staff as pain flooded her body again. ”Who are you...ma’am?” Kira managed as politely as she could. 

The woman smiled then, ”Who I am is of no matter girl. Who you are, however, is of great interest to me. Tell me. What is your name?” 

”Kira, Kira Vasari, ma’am.” Kira could see darkness at the edges of her sight and knew it wouldn’t be long before it claimed her. 

”A daughter of the Vasari blood? My, my. There hasn’t been a Vasari in this neck of Ferelden in over five hundred years. But a Vasari who is a mage and a Warden?” The woman approached Kira, the smile forever present on her face, and reached out with a taloned glove covered hand and brushed the tips of the claws against Kira’s face. ”Sleep girl. When you awaken, you will find yourself healed and in a safer place.” With that the woman pulled away and with a snap of her fingers, Kira blacked out and about hit the ground. The woman caught her, however, and smiled. ”So old friend, it seems that a child of your blood has come here. And so, Vasari, my dear friend, I keep my promise to you and will aid the daughter of your bloodline.”

****

Kira awoke to warmth and voices. Two of those voices sounded familiar while another two did not. Groaning as she sat up, the voices stopped and someone rushed over to what Kira now knew to be a tent surrounding her and suddenly a familiar face was in her vision. ”Kira!” 

”Sol?” 

”Thank the Maker!” Solona launched into an explanation of what had happened while Kira had been out cold. ”Flemeth brought you to us and...” Kira was suddenly lost and Sol, sensing this, stopped in her prattling to sigh. ”Anyways, the Maker must be on your side or something! I thought you died at Ostagar!” 

”I thought everyone who was there died. How did you survive?” 

Solona smiled then, ”Alistair and I were rescued from the tower by Flemeth.” Suddenly a woof sounded, and a bulky shape pushed its way into the tent. ”Ack! Bear!” 

”Bear?” Kira watched as the form that came into the tent lay down and crawled on it’s, or rather his, belly and Kira was surprised to see that the form was, in fact, a Mabari War Hound and had to fight back a squeal of joy at seeing the dog. ”Well hello to you too!” Kira smiled warmly as the dog, a rather handsome black-coated beast, wagged his stubby tail as he stared up at her with the most pitiful look he could muster. ”Well come here, I very well can’t give you loves with you being so far away now can I?” She inquired as Bear woofed and crawled closer to her to allow her to bury her face in his fur around his neck as his tail wagged furiously. ”Who's a good boy?!” she asked as Bear woofed and panted happily in response. ”That’s right! You are!” Kira giggled as Bear gave her a doggy smile. 

”You know he’s supposed to be my dog,” Solona mock pouted as Kira smirked up at her then. 

”I stole him from you.” 

”Apparently! Actually...If you want him you can have him. He seems to really like you, I mean... Between the two of us, you are Fereldan by birth and blood, so it would make sense for you to have a Mabari...” 

”Solana.” 

”Yes?” 

”Mabari _**CHOOSE**_ their person, just because he likes me doesn’t mean I’m his imprinted person. It just means I will get to spoil him more.” A woof of agreement echoed from Bear. ”Anyways... Where are we?” Kira asked as she continued to cuddle the mabari hound who was panting happily now.

”A few days walk from Redcliffe. Alistair and I believed it to be a good idea to speak with the Arl and see what he thinks of what happened at Ostagar.” 

”Hopefully he will be willing to help us.” Kira sighed as she debated on getting up. ”I guess the soon we get moving the better?” Kira made to stand but a sudden sharp pain in her leg caused her to yelp as Solona caught her. 

”I agree that we should get moving soon but you're only now recovering from severe injuries. We will have to take it slow,” Solona frowned as Kira closed her eyes against the pain she felt as Solona helped her dress. A few moments later found Kira being added in sitting down near the fire and suggestions being thrown around as of to how they could aid Kira in getting to Redcliffe without causing her too much pain. 

”No. I will slow you all down too much. It would likely be best if you left me behind,” Kira said as Alistair looked at her worriedly. 

Solona frowned then, ”Kira...!”

”Trust me, Sol, it would be for the best. With how extensive my injuries are and how slowly I am healing, its for the best.” 

Solona pursed her lips then and was preparing to argue when the man known as a qunari ”Sten” came over and carefully scooped Kira into his arms. ”I will carry this bas saarebas.” While the others looked like they wanted to argue, no one dared to as it was likely the only way to get Kira to Redcliffe but as they began to travel after everything was packed up Kira found herself involuntarily trying to fall asleep and was fighting against it. In a hushed voice, however, Sten turned to Kira and spoke, ”Sleep. You will need to regain your strength.” 

While part of her wondered why he was being this way towards her but she found the wonder fleeing her mind as she slipped from the real world and into the Fade where she found herself dreaming of honey-gold eyes and a heart-melting smirk that belonged to a particular Templar.


	5. Four

Kira felt useless as she was forced to remain in Redcliffe’s Chantry. Her once extensive wounds had been healed enough to where she could walk with a slight limp thanks to both the healers and Solona’s gentle healing magic, but she was still nowhere near fit for fighting and wouldn’t be for another few days but that didn’t mean she wasn’t able to help out in her own way. Granted her offensive spells were powerful, but her defensive and her healing spells were okay at best, leaving her to have been the main target of the other apprentices' jealousy as well as having the templars keep a close eye on her (especially Cullen as he had been greatly worried for her). Frowning as she concentrated on keeping the barrier on the doors of the Chantry at full power, Kira was also managing to somehow say the Chant though that was more habit than anything. The sounds of battle could be heard through the doors, even if it was muffled, and while Kira hated being unable to join in, she knew that protecting the civilians was greatly important as well. Concentrating on the doors, Kira could still sense two people at her sides as the unsheathed their weapons but didn't bother to look and see _WHO_ they were, she just knew especially when Bear moved in front of her with hackles raised and fangs bared in a fearsome snarl. At her left stood Sten, who had unsheathed the great-sword that he was well known for using, and at her right was the strange assassin that Solona had spared the life of (much to the dismay of almost everyone except Kira), whose name was Zevran. As she waited for the sign that Solona had promised to send her way if they won the battle, Kira allowed a tiny part of her mind to wander and where it went was to that Templar she kept dreaming of. That Templar she knew to be named Cullen Rutherford, however, she wasn’t given long enough to think of him before feeling Solona’s magic briefly reach out and touch hers. Releasing her magic, Kira allowed the barrier to drop and watched as Solona walked in. ”We won...” Solona managed with a tired voice as Kira noted that the sun was slowly peeking over the horizon. 

Kira moved to go sit down and watched as Solona left the Chantry with Morrigan, Sten and Zevran while leaving Alistair, Leliana and Bear with her, but when she and the three with her made it up to the castle, Solona filled them all in quickly of the situation. For a while as Solona, Leliana, Morrigan and Alistair went round and round on what to do, Kira was silent as she let her mind think over the situation, or did until the one who started this mess spoke up. "Sol, let me use blood magic. It's the only way."

Kira snarled then and everyone turned to her, "Your blood magic is what started this whole load of bullshit to begin with, Jowan." Kira growled at the one standing before her (all while not noticing that Alistair slowly backed away from her as if silently saying that he wasn't getting in between the two). 

"Kira?" It took the young man that Kira addressed a moment to recognize her but sure enough he recognized her. "You're here? I thought that the Knight-Commander would never let you leave the tower considering that you were his favorite pet-!"

" _Don't.you.dare._ " Kira snarled low as she approached him, her magic crackling in the air, and now everyone backed away a step. "If it wasn't for your stupidity I would still be in the Circle..." Then a thought struck her like lightning and she turned to Solona, who seemed to share that same exact thought as they spoke at the same time.

"THE CIRCLE!" Suddenly Alistair spoke up and they looked at him.

"Of course! The treaties!" Alistair smiled now as everyone watched him, "Grey Wardens have the right to demand aid from Mages, Elves and dwarves during the time of a Blight!"

"Then we need to head to the Circle."

"I'll go Sol," Kira spoke up. "If I stay here, I'm more then likely to kill this son of a bitch where he stands," She motioned towards Jowan. "Plus the Knight-Commander may be more willing to listen to me then anyone else." 

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to go ahead and do that anyways, but apparently you can read minds now."

"Maker no. I don't want to know what goes through that mind of yours anyways, I just know you that well what with having been stuck with you for the past seven to eight years?" 

Solona smiled, "Somewhere in there. Take who you will with you to the Circle, I'll stay behind and _help_ Jowan keep an eye on Connor." With that Kira turned to their companions only to feel Bear's butt plop onto her foot. 

"Apparently your dog is coming with me." Solona seemed slightly unamused at that while the person behind her coughed to cover up a laugh. 

"Not surprising," Solona sighed as Alistair and Leliana spoke up.

"I'm coming with you Kira," Leliana smiled with Alistair echoing in agreement.

"Alright, guess I have my team," Kira turned to Solona then, "We'll be back as quickly as we can Sol. Try to keep the demon occupied and Connor alive."

"I'll do what I can." Solona nodded as she watched Kira, Alistair, Leliana and Bear leave the castle.  _Hopefully Cullen finally gets to admit his feelings for her._

****

It took a few days but eventually Kira and those who had come with her reached the Circle of Magi that she and Solona had grown up in. Standing near the docks that lead to it, Kira looked up in wonder as she realized just how tall the tower was on the outside. Yet something felt off and Kira could not, for the life of her, name what it was. "Kira?" Alistair's voice broke through her staring contest with the tower and she looked over at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, its just that something feels...wrong..." She told him quietly, they had decided to rest for the night at the inn on this side of the lake before heading to the tower early the next day, yet for the life of her Kira could not sleep. As something just felt _wrong_. And it wasn’t just the normal sense of doom kind of wrong, no, this was the heart-plummeting, stomach feeling as if something were clawing at her, kind of wrong. _Maybe I’m just imagining it, or maybe the Joining has fucked with my intuition in some way. Yes, that must be it, the Joining has fucked with me in some way and everything is alright in the Circle..._ But the itchy feeling of something being wrong just wouldn’t leave her alone and she feared to know if she was right. Shaking her head as Alistair left her to take up watch, Kira turned and walked away from that area only to stop closer to the lake just out of view of the others and, kneeling down, she began to pray all while the gut-wrenching feeling weighed her down like a bucket of bricks. 


End file.
